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The Personalities of Natchez

The true identity of Natchez, Mississippi lies not in its antebellum past, but in a modern mix of colorful characters and locals.

Robbie Caponetto, Article by Tanner C. Latham

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Reuben “Buzz” Harper

INTERIOR DESIGNER

“Too much is a great place to start.”

Lunch at The Castle Restaurant, and you may spy a distinguished gentleman gliding in gracefully with a cane. His three-piece suit will be buttoned, fingers weighted by bejeweled rings, and white hair pulled tight into a ponytail. Meet Buzz Harper, a world-traveling bon vivant. He says things like “I’m receptive to ghosts” offhandedly, the way one divulges a shellfish allergy. He is equally charismatic and sensitive, charming and insightful.

Ask about: His friendship with novelist Anne Rice or his interior design masterpiece: The restoration of The Prentiss Club, a 1903 former gentlemen’s club located downtown.